Sometimes it takes more than 12 months to put together a fantastic season of one of the world's leading TV shows.

Most of the time, we'll get a new season of a hit television series just under a year after the release of the final episode in the current season. Sometimes however, it takes a little longer for those working behind-the-scenes to bring their shows back to the small screen. In fact, it's becoming more of a trend with every month that passes by to keep audiences waiting around two years before getting another hit of their favourite show. With all of that in mind, we've decided to take a look at 5 of the biggest series in the world, which won't be making a comeback until 2019 despite their last outings being in 2017...

'Game of Thrones' may be coming to a close, but work is soon to start on a prequel set thousands before the show's events.

Though we've still not seen the final six episodes of 'Game Of Thrones', and won't be doing so until some point in 2019, filming on the series has now come to an end, and so those working behind-the-scenes may be looking to pick up a job on the planned prequel. Now, we have a production start date for the series, which will take place thousands of years before the events we've seen go down in 'GoT'.

Don't expect to see Alfie Allen in the prequel series!

According to the Belfast Telegraph, the prequel goes into production in Belfast this coming October. Members of staff working at the Paint Hall studios in the city's Titanic Quarter have allegedly been briefed that their next project will be the new series, with a source saying: "This is fantastic news for everyone at the studio - from the cast and the crew, right down to the riggers and the catering staff."

HBO have given the go ahead for Jane Goldman's 'Game of Thrones' prequel series' pilot episode, which could air as soon as 2020 if officially ordered.

'Game Of Thrones' may be on its way out, but what we've known for some time now is that HBO aren't willing to give up on the land of Westeros and beyond. With a number of different spinoffs in development behind-the-scenes, from acclaimed writers such as Max Borenstein, Brian Helgeland, Brian Cogman, and Carly Wray, it would seem the network have now decided in which direction they'll go with the fantasy property when time's up on the original show.

Maisie Williams plays Arya Stark in 'Game of Thrones'

Jane Goldman has been working on a show set far before the time we see on the small screen in 'Game of Thrones', and HBO are so impressed with her work on a pilot script, that she's now been given the go ahead to turn it into something real. Serving as a showrunner on the episode, she'll move into a full series if the network decide to go ahead with the project.

The eighth and final season of 'Game of Thrones' won't be ready until the year after next, Turner told Variety.

It’s bad news for ‘Game Of Thrones’ fans, as the rumours surrounding the final season of the fantasy drama are true – at least according to its star Sophie Turner, who has claimed that the eighth and ultimate season will not premiere until 2019.

The 21 year old English actress, who plays Sansa Stark, spoke to Variety in an interview published on Wednesday (December 6th), and confirmed that season eight of ‘Game of Thrones’ “comes out in 2019” and added there is still “six or seven months left” of filming for it.

Rumours concerning the final six episodes of HBO’s expansive fantasy drama, which made its debut way back in 2011, began when the seventh season concluded back in August. However, HBO did not issue any statements at the time.

For millions across the globe, 'Game Of Thrones' is the most exciting and intriguing television series the world has ever seen. With more twists and turns than most of the shows we see on the small screen, the story has shocked with its most brutal moments and stunned those who are now anxiously waiting its conclusion.

Based on the incomplete novel series 'A Song of Ice & Fire' by George R. R. Martin, even readers who have been with the franchise for some time won't now know how everything will be tied up - if at all! Everybody's excited to see how things conclude, and it would seem that even the show's leading actors and actresses are looking forward to the end; albeit for differing reasons.

There's drama for 'Game Of Thrones' star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as it's revealed that he is suing his former manager for fraud over 'sham' documents suggesting that he owes her thousands in commissions from after their professional relationship ended. He denies he owes her anything.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau at 'Game Of Thrones' season 7 premiere

Nikolaj, who plays Jaime Lannister in the HBO hit 'Game of Thrones', is taking his ex-manager Jill Littman to court over fraudulent documents that suggested he would be forced to carry on paying commission to her even if they stopped working together.

Director Jeremy Podeswa defended Sheeran's cameo appearance in the season 7 curtain-raiser in an interview with The Daily Beast.

After his cameo appearance in ‘Game Of Thrones’ this weekend that sharply divided viewers on social media, the show’s director has come to Ed Sheeran’s defence saying that the singer is a “lovely performer” who “deserved to be there”.

In fact, the reaction was such that 26 year old Sheeran quit Twitter altogether in the wake of the season premiere of the seventh series of ‘Game of Thrones’ on Sunday night (July 16th). However, the HBO fantasy show’s director, Jeremy Podeswa, has told The Daily Beast in a new interview that he felt Sheeran’s appearance was appropriate.

Podeswa admitted he was “a bit surprised that people have made that much fuss about it… he looks right in the show; he fits into the fabric of the show.”

He gave us fair warning, but Ed Sheeran has finally decided to scrap his Twitter account altogether now after a stream of hate messages following his 'Game Of Thrones' cameo. There was barely enough screen time for him to have had a poor performance, but that didn't stop his biggest critics.

Ed Sheeran performs at the 'Today' show

We have a feeling that Ed's brief spell as a singing soldier in season 7 of 'Game of Thrones' was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek moment for the series, but there were a lot of people out there who felt angry about his involvement in the episode 'Dragonstone'. As a result, he's shut down his Twitter account in a bid to stem the flow of hate.

Clarke spoke to Elle magazine for its August edition ahead of the return of 'Game of Thrones' for its seventh season.

Ahead of the imminent return of ‘Game Of Thrones’ for its seventh season, Emilia Clarke has spoken about stripping off on-screen, saying she gets “a lot of cr**” for it.

The 30 year old British star, who has played Daenerys Targaryen since the HBO series began in 2011, has been working hard promoting the seventh series ahead of its return this weekend. In a new interview for the US August edition of Elle magazine, she opened up about what it is like to bare all on screen, and reveals that she gets a lot of unfair criticism for it.

Specifically referring to her up-close-and-personal encounter with Daario Naharis (played by Michael Huisman) in season four, she said: “It’s brilliant. I actually went up to [showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] and thanked them. I was like, ‘That’s a scene I’ve been waiting for!’ Because I get a lot of c**p for having done nude scenes and sex scenes.”

The season 7 premiere guests featured some cast members we haven't seen much of for a while.

'Game Of Thrones' season 7 is nearly upon us! As the cast - both former and current - join together on the red carpet for the official premiere, we look at who could be making a grand return to the coming series. There's a few characters we haven't seen for a while, so it could get interesting.

Kit Harington and Rose Leslie at the 'Game of Thrones' season 7 premiere

The season 7 premiere of 'Game of Thrones' took place at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles last night (July 12th 2017), and with it came a hoarde of stars from the series - some of whose appearances spoke volumes about what to expect from the show over the next few weeks.

Maisie Williams - "An Evening with The Game Of Thrones" hosted by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at the Chinese Theater hosted by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at the Chinese Theater - Los Angeles, CA, United States - Tuesday 19th March 2013